This is my mother's recipe, more or less, for a classic Jewish dish I loved as a child. While Jewish cooking is pretty meat-o-centric, there are a few really good vegetarian dishes like this one.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8

• 2 cups coarse or medium granulation kasha (toasted buckwheat)
• 2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)
• 4 cups stock or water, hot
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound bow-tie shaped pasta (farfalle) or egg noodles, cooked medium-soft
• 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Combine kasha and eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon until well coated.

2. Pour the kasha mixture into the hot pan, and cook, stirring and breaking up lumps, until the egg has dried onto the kasha, and grains are separate.

3. Add the hot stock and the butter carefully (it may spatter). Lower flame to low heat, cover tightly, and cook 7–10 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

4. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions and mushrooms together until soft, about 5 minutes.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked kasha, onions, mushrooms, cooked pasta, and cream of mushroom soup; mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Transfer to a casserole and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and slightly crusty on top.